The Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets 126-120 in a tightly contested battle Sunday afternoon. In the win, Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum dropped a season-high 54 points. He outshined Nets superstar, Kevin Durant, who also had an excellent game pouring in 37 points of his own. After the game, Tatum spoke to the media and addressed his mentality during his torching of the Nets.

“(I) was just trying to make the right play… when you kind of get into that zone, the basket just seemed a little bit bigger. You feel just a little bit better about yourself getting to your spots. Ultimately, just tying to make the right play, attack the mismatch.”

Tatum had just about everything going on Sunday. The Celtics forward scored the 54 points on 16 for 30 shooting. That includes hitting eight of 15 shots from downtown. He added five rebounds and three assists, on the rare possession that he apparently didn’t get to the spot he wanted. Tatum scored 34 of his 54 points in the second half when it mattered most.

Durant meanwhile balled out himself, dropping 37 points on 12 for 21 shooting from the floor. But it was not enough.

It was the third time the Celtics have beaten the Nets in the last month. However, the first two instances did not have Durant or Irving. So, this was more of a statement game for Boston. They improved to 39-27 on the season and are arguably the hottest team in the NBA, having won three straight and 14 of their last 16 games.

The Nets have now lost both games since Durant’s return, falling into a tie with the Charlotte Hornets for the #8 seed in the eastern conference.